Omar H. Ali is Dean of Lloyd International Honors College and Professor of Comparative African Diaspora History. He explores the making of the African Diaspora in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds from the early modern period to the present. Selected as The Carnegie Foundation North Carolina Professor of the Year, his latest book, Malik Ambar: Power and Slavery Across the Indian Ocean, was published by Oxford University Press. A graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, he received his Ph.D. in History from Columbia University and has been a Fulbright Professor of History and Anthropology at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, and a Library Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. He also holds an appointment in the French Ministry of Education as Inspector of History and Geography for the International Baccalaureate and locally directs a community-based initiative in Greensboro–Community Play!/All Stars Alliance–free cultural events, classes, and workshops that support learning and development through performance and play. He has served on the board of directors of IndependentVoting.org, the Cone Health Foundation, and the All Stars Project. Ali has appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, NPR, PBS, Al Jazeera, Black Network Television, and Huffpost Live. His most recent TEDx talk is entitled “Race: A Function of Power.”

BOOKS

CURRICULUM VITAE

Education

Ph.D., HistoryColumbia University, New York, 2003

M.Phil./M.A., HistoryColumbia University, New York, 2001

B.Sc., Econ. (Hon.), Anthropology
London School of Economics and Political Science, 1992

Teaching and Research

Professor, 2016-present
Lloyd International Honors College and African American & African Diaspora Studies
Department of History and International and Global Studies Program affiliateThe University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Courses: The Making of the African Diaspora; Afro-Latin America: Africa, Iberia, and the Americas; Greensboro: The World through a City; Blacks in American Society; How do we know what we know?: Epistemology, Methodology, and Interdisciplinary Research

Associate Professor, 2010-2016
African American & African Diaspora Studies
Department of History and International and Global Studies Program affiliateThe University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Courses: The Making of the African Diaspora; Black Populism in the New South;
Independent Black Politics in the 19th c.; Islam, Africa, and the Diaspora;
Afro-Latin America; Race, Philosophy, and Play

Visiting Professor, 2008-2009
Program in African American and Diaspora Studies
Center for Latin American Studies affiliateVanderbilt University, Tennessee
Courses: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the U.S.;
The Making of the African Diaspora; Race Matters

Assistant Professor, 2004-2010
Department of History
African & African American Studies and Latin American Studies affiliateTowson University, Maryland
Courses: The Making of the African Diaspora; World History Since 1300;
African American History, I & II; U.S. History, I & II; Historical Research Methods;
Abolitionism in the Indian Ocean World

Lecturer, 2003-2004
Institute for Research in African American StudiesColumbia University, New York
Courses: Independent Politics and the African American Community; Introduction to African American Studies

Instructor, 2002-2007
Clemente Course in the HumanitiesBard College, NY, and NJ Council for the Humanities, North Brunswick
Course: American History: Colonial to the Present

Visiting Scholar, 2001
Center for the Study of the American SouthThe University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Project: “Black Populism: From the Colored Alliance to the People’s Party”

Edited Journal:

Chapters:

“Abyssinian Slave, Soldier, and Sultan in South Asia: Malik Ambar and the Sultanate of Ahmednagar,” in Africans in India, edited with Kenneth X. Robbins and Beheroze Shroff (Ahmedabad, India: Mapin, under contract)

“African Americans,” in A Companion to the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Christopher McKnight and Nancy Unger, eds. (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017) link

“Independent Black Voices from the late 19th century: Black Populists and the Struggle Against the Southern Democracy,” Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Spring 2005)

“Third-Party Movements: Perot,” History in Dispute: American Social and Political Movements, 1945-2000, Benjamin Frankel, Robert J. Allison, et. al., eds. (Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 2000), 194-202.

Pedagogy Chapters, Articles, and Essays:

“Internationalizing through Honors: A Case Study of Lloyd International Honors College at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro,” with Chris Kirkman, chapter in Internationalizing Honors, edited by Kim Klein and Mary Kay Mulvaney (Lincoln, NE: National Collegiate Honors Council monograph series, 2018) link

“History, Humanities, and Science,” chapter in Humanities in Class: How to Think and Learn in the Humanities (Research Triangle Park, NC: National Humanities Center, 2018), 154-174 link

“Black Politics,” The Encyclopedia of African-American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-First Century, Paul Finkelman, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009) link

Reports:

“‘A Quiet Revolution: The Early Successes of California’s Top Two Nonpartisan Primary,” with Jason D. Olson, OpenPrimaries.org (August 2015) link

“College Independents Poll: The Emergence of a Non-Partisan Politics?” Office of Research and Economic Development, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Fall 2013) link

“A Brief History of Non-Partisan Municipal Elections in New York City,” Committee for a Unified Indpendent Party, Inc., New York (Spring 2002)

Book Reviews:

Afro-Latin American Studies: An Introduction (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018) edited by Alejandro de la Fuente and George Reid Andrews, ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin American (Fall 2018)

Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad (New York: W.W. Norton, 2015) by Eric Foner, Politics for the People: History and Politics from an Independent Perspective (April 14, 2015) link

Declarations of Dependence: The Long Reconstruction of Popular Politics in the South, 1861-1908 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011) by Gregory P. Downs, American Historical Review, Vol. 118, No. 2 (April 2013): 521-522.

For Labor, Race, and Liberty: George Edwin Taylor, His Historic Run for the White House, and the Making of Independent Black Politics (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2011) by Bruce L. Mouser, Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Vol. 11, No. 3 (July 2012): 460-462.

A Black Congressman in the Age of Jim Crow: South Carolina’s George Washington Murray (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2006) by John F. Marszalek, South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 109, No. 2 (April 2008): 150-152.

Cities of the Dead: Contesting the Memory of the Civil War in the South, 1865-1914 (The University of North Carolina Press, 2004) by William Blair, The Journal of African American History, Vol. 91, No. 1 (Winter 2006): 90-91.

“A New Populism in the United States,” History News Service (November 26, 1999)

Miscellaneous:

Amendment to the “Draft Declaration on the Promotion and Full Respect of Human Rights of People of African Descent” Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, United Nations Office of Geneva, Switzerland (February 1, 2018)

Letter to the Editor in Chief, The French Review, in response to “L’Islamisme à la conquête de la République Francaise” Vol. 91.1 (November 22, 2017)

Oxford University Press (New Oxford World History Series)The Indian Ocean in World History, Edward Alpers (2012)

Oxford University Press (Organization of American Historians)Journal of American History, “‘Our Very Pronounced Theory of Equal Rights to All’: Race, Citizenship, and Populism in the South Texas Borderlands,” Gregg Cantrell (2011)

Routledge Publishing
Sojourner Truth biography proposal review (2011)

The University of Wisconsin PressFor Labor, Race, and Liberty: George Edwin Taylor, Bruce L. Mouser (2010)

Editorial Boards:

Languages

English, French, Spanish; basic Urdu ( تھوڑی تھوڑی )

“Maroons Revisted,” New York Public Library, June 11, 2015

Lectures and Presentations

2018

“Africa and the Global African Diaspora,” Guest lecture, Introduction to African American Studies, Program in African American & African Diaspora Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (November 12, 2018; September 14, 2018, August 23 and 30, 2018)

“Africa and Islam in World History,” Emeritus Society, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (September 17, 2018) link

“Africa and the Global African Diaspora,” Guest lecture, Introduction to African American Studies, Program in African American & African Diaspora Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (September 14, 2018)

“Islam in the Indian Ocean World,” Guest lecture, Town and Country in the Medieval Islamic World, Department of History, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (September 6, 2018)

“Africa and the Global African Diaspora,” Guest lecture, Introduction to African American Studies, Program in African American & African Diaspora Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (August 30, 2018)

“Teaching-Learning World History,” Keynote Address, Unpacking the New Passport to Social Studies, Global History and Geography, New York City Department of Education, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, New York (July 17, 2018)

“Building and Re-Building Community,” Ramadan Community Dinner, City of High Point Community Relations Commission, Interfaith Committee, the Divan Center, and the Community Mosque of High Point, High Point, NC (June 20, 2018)

“The Muslim Next Door” Film Premiere Screening panel discussion with Chris Brook, Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, National Geographic and International Civil Rights Center and Museum, Greensboro, NC (May 22, 2018)

“Black History as American History,” Granville County Senior Center and the North Carolina Humanities Council, Oxford, NC (May 18, 2018)

“Black Populism, African Americans, and Independent Politics,” Ashby Lecture, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 2, 2018)

“The Possibilities and Limitations of Malik Ambar’s Spiritual and Religious Practices,” Religiosity and Resilience: Islam in the African Diaspora Symposium, Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago, IL (February 24, 2018)

“Malik Ambar, the African Diaspora, and Islam in the Indian Ocean World,” Department of History, California State University, Long Beach, CA (February 20, 2018)

“Practicing ‘Yes, and’ to teach Africa in World History,” panel on “Race, Place, and Nation in the Early Modern World: a Pedagogical Roundtable,” sponsored by the Sixteenth Century Journal and the World History Association, American Historical Association Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. (January 7, 2018) link

2017

“The Emergence of an Anti-Partisan Politics?” Open Primaries National Forum and Round Table, Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University, Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, University of Southern California, IndependentVoting.org, and OpenPrimaries.org, Phoenix, AZ (December 15, 2017) link

“What do we Mean by ‘Diversity’ and Why is it Important?’ Facilitator of the Inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Diversity Symposium, Unity Enrichment Committee, U.S. District Courthouse, Greensboro, NC (September 29, 2017)

“Resistance to 16th century Iberian Expansion in the Carolinas: At the intersection of Indian, Spanish, and African Encounters,” The History Museum of Burke County, Morganton, NC (September 15, 2017) link

“Malik Ambar and the Making of the African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean World,” The Charles B. Wang Center Lecture Series, The State University of New York at Stony Brook, Long Island, NY (April 13, 2017)

“Being Black, Female, and Independent: Fulani and the Legal Barriers to the Ballot for Independents,” Guest Lecture, ‘Race, Gender, and the Law,’ Honors Seminar, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (April 4, 2017)

“Becoming a Mentor,” Faculty Mentoring Workshop, co-led with Dr. Nadja Cech, Teaching Innovations Office, University Teaching and Learning Center, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (April 3, 2017)

“‘Performing’ University Student,” Parent and Family Session, Destination UNCG, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 25, 2017)

“Many Journeys, Many Stories: With Liberty and Justice for All,” Celebratory address, Naturalization ceremony for new U.S. Citizens, U.S. District Court, Greensboro, NC (February 24, 2017)

“Community Play!/All Stars Project,” Opening Presentation, Conference on African American and African Diasporic Cultures and Experience, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 21, 2017) link

“Diversity and Global Engagement Expo: Building Intercultural Connections,” Jackson Library, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 16, 2017) link

“Innovations in Pedagogical Practices in Higher Education,” Guangdong OceanUniversity Teacher Training Program, International Programs Center, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (November 8, 2016)

“Islam in History and the World Today,” Global Distinction Speaker, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury, NC (October 18, 2016)

“Malik Ambar: Power and Slavery Across the Indian Ocean,” Conversations with the Community, African American and African Diaspora Studies Program, Islamic Studies Research Network, and Lloyd International Honors College, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (October 4, 2016)

“The Art and Science of Teaching and Mentoring,” with Nadja B. Cech, Seminar on Professional Development, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (September 30, 2016)

“Connecting the Middle East to the Southeast,” K-12 Educators, Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle Eastern Studies, Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, NC (August 16, 2016)

“‘Obuchenie,’ Play, and the Practice of Method,” Teacher Assistant workshop, The Graduate School, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (August 12, 2016)

“The Power of Play and Improvisation in Building Relationships,” Lunch Keynote Address, The North Carolina Triad Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Kernersville, NC (June 28, 2016) link

“Yes, And: The Two most Powerful Words,” Keynote Address, Sweet Tea Tour, Southern Association for College Admissions Counseling, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (June 7, 2016) link

“Making the Macro Personal,” Graduation speaker, Department of Peace & Conflict Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (May 5, 2016)

“Pedagogy of Play,” Guest Presentation, Graduate Professional Seminar, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Health and Human Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (April 25, 2016)

“Transforming the Workplace through the Power of Play,” Human Resource professional development workshop, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 21, March 28, & April 4, 2015)

“The Follow-up,” Hot Topics in Higher Education Conference, Division of Student Affairs Professional Development Committee, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 7, 2016)

“African Migration Across the Indian Ocean World,” Forum: Migrations Throughout History, History Department and Lloyd International Honors College, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 29, 2016) link

“Pre-Columbian African Civilizations and Migration,” Black History Before America: A Community Forum, Cumberland Public Library and Information Center, Fayetteville, NC (February 8, 2016)

“African Maroons in Seventeenth Century Colombia: Benkos Biohó and the Making of Palenque,” Marronage Conference, The College of Charleston, The Program in the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World, Charleston, SC (February 5, 2015) link

“Benkos Biohó: Palenque de San Basilio in 17th-Century New Granada,” Maroons Revisted: History and Stories, Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library (June 11, 2015) link

“Code-Switching and Play: Tools for Learning and Growth in a Global World,” Global Engagement Summer Institute, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (May 14, 2015)

“Navigating the Workplace though the Power of Play,” Human Resource professional development workshop, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (April 22, 2015)

“UNCG Police and African Americans,” Campus Conversation facilitator, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (April 15, 2015)

“Understanding Black History as American History,” Road Scholar Lecture, North Carolina Humanities Council and Friends of the Caswell County Public Library, Yanceyville, NC (April 13, 2015)

“Being Black and a Police Officer: A Conversation about the Subjectivity and Material Realities of Policing as an African American,” with Officer Kenneth Wilson, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 31, 2015)

“The Challenges of Diversity in Public History and Museum Studies,” Presentation, Department of History, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 26, 2015)

“Black Lives Matter: Michael Brown, Ferguson, and Police,” Guest Speaker, Social Justice Research Group, Counseling and Education Development Program, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 26, 2015)

“Africa and Development,” Guest Lecture, Introduction to International and Global Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 19, 2015)

“Creating Community Together in the Face of Tragedy,” Campus Community Dialogue Series, Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs and African American & African Diaspora Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 12, 2015)

“Paris, Islam, and Race,” Presentation and conversation sponsored by the Islamic Studies Research Network, Department of History, African American & African Diaspora Studies Program, Department of Religious Studies, and the Muslim Student Association, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 3, 2015)

“Vygotsky, Play, and Performance,” Lunch Presentation, Department of Athletics, Alumni House, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (January 28, 2015)

“Race in World History,” Guest Lecture, Communication Studies: African American Culture and Identity, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (January 22, 2015)

“Diversity and Global Engagement Expo: Creating New Conversations,” Moderator, University Libraries, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (January 15, 2015)

2014

“Diversity and Pedagogy in the Classroom,” Facilitator, Diversity Initiatives, The College of Arts & Sciences (November 19, 2014)

“Black Amerindians: African-Native American Histories Across the Americas,” lecture sponsored by the Native American Student Association, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (November 4, 2014)

“Working at Play, Playing at Work: Developing Your Improvisation Skills,” Human Resource Services professional development workshop, The University of North Carolina, Greensobro (October 22, 2014)

“Improvisation and Play in the Workplace,” conference presentation for Performing the World 2014: How Shall We Become?, East Side Institute, New York, NY (October 29, 2014)

“Improvisation and Play in the Workplace,” conference presentation for Performing the World 2014: How Shall We Become?, East Side Institute, New York, NY (October 10, 2014)

“Ethiopians in India: Malik Ambar and the Abyssinians of the Deccan during the 16th and 17th centuries,” Faculty Seminar presentation, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (September 12, 2014) link

“The Global African Diaspora in the 17th Century: Peru, India, and Virginia,” Conversations with the Community, African American & African Diaspora Studies Program, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (September 9, 2014)

“‘African’ Identity-Formations” guest lecture for Spanish Literature II, Patriarchy and Slavery in the Spanish Caribbean, Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (August 26, 2014)

“Independents and Voting Rights in North Carolina,” educational discussion sponsored by the AFS Club at UNCG, Greensboro, NC (April 23, 2014)

“A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence, From the Middle East to America,” Muslim Journeys, Let’s Talk About it Book Talk Series, North Carolina Humanities Council and Braswell Memorial Library, Rocky Mount, North Carolina (April 17, 2014)

“Africans in Southwest Asia: On the Meaning of ‘Kaffir,'” Rountable Discussion, Africa Conference, The University of Texas, Austin (April 5, 2014)

“Using Improvisation to Create Developmental Conversations in the Workplace,” Human Resource Services professional development workshop, University of North Carolina, Greensobro (March 26, April 9 and 23, 2014)

“The Roots of Urban Black Poverty,” lecture sponsored by th Pan-African Coalition and African American Studies Club, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (March 25, 2014)

“Islam and Asian Trade,” Arab and Islamic Cultures Seminar, Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, North Carolina Geographic Alliance, and the African Studies Center, UNC, Chapel Hill (March 22, 2014)

“The Columbia Sourcebook of Muslims in the United States,” Muslim Journeys, Let’s Talk About It Book Talk Series, North Carolina Humanities Council and Braswell Memorial Library, Rocky Mount, North Carolina (March 20, 2014)

“Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963,” The American Library Association, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of American History, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Gunn Memorial Public Library, North Carolina (March 2, 2014)

“Campus Community Dialogue on Hate Speech,” facilitator, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (February 24, 2014)

“The African Diaspora as World History: A 17th-century perspective from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic,” Department of Social Sciences, Winston Salem State University (February 3, 2014) link

2013

“Black Diasporas in the Indian Ocean World: ‘African Unity’ in the Longue Durée,” Dialogues on East Africa and African Unity at Fifty, African, African American, and Diaspora Studies Forum, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (November 18, 2013)

“On Stage: Work and Play,” Human Resource Services professional development workshop, University of North Carolina, Greensobro (November 6, 20; December 6, 2013)

“Towards a Comparative African Diaspora History: Abyssinians in Peru and India during the 17th century,” Beyond the Boundaries African History Conference, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (October 12, 2013)

“San Martin de Porres and the Afro-Peruvian Community,” Lloyd International Honors College, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (September 25, 2013)

“Creating New Conversations about Violence,” Southern Atlantic States Association of Asian and African Studies and the Elon Center for the Study of Religion, Culture, and Society, Elon, NC (September 21, 2013)

“Professional Development through Performance and Play,” Human Resource Services, University of North Carolina, Greensobro (May 24 and 31, 2013)

“Malik Ambar and the African Diaspora of the Indian Ocean World,” guest lecture for Islamic History and Civilization, 1200 C.E.-present, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (April 15, 2013)

“Marilyn Lott and the Woolworth Sit-In: A Women’s College Perspective,” Public Conversation, International Civil Rights Center and Museum, African American Studies Program and History Department, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, NC (April 12, 2013)

“Independent Voters, Culture Change, and the Quest for a Post-Partisan America,” Presentation to the College Advancement Council Dinner, College of Arts & Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (October 28, 2012)

“Exploring Al Jahiz’s ‘The Book of the Pride of the Blacks Over the Whites,'” Diasporas and ‘Race’ Conference, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC (October 26, 2012)

“”Exploring Early Modern Black Leadership from Latin America to the Indian Subcontinent,” Conference on African American Culture and Experience, University of North Carolina, Greensboro (October 19, 2012)

“Performance and Play: Tools for Development and Growth in the Professional World,” Black Business Student Association, UNC-Greensboro (October 4, 2012)

“Africa, Islam, and Deconstructing ‘The white man’s burden,”” New York Times Talk, Office of Learning Communities, University of North Carolina, Greensboro (September 19, 2012)

“History, Africa, and Islam in the Making of the Modern World: A Postmodern Philosophical Exploration,” Diversity Lecture Series, Office of Multicultural Student Development, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC (September 18, 2012)

“In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States,” Campus Conversations Book Talk, Black Faculty and Staff Association, University of North Carolina, Greensboro (September 13, 2012)

“Understanding Black History as American History,” North Carolina Humanities Council and Transylvania Heritage Museum, Brevard, NC (May 19, 2012)

“The Making of the African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean,” Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Towson, MD (May 15, 2012)

“Independents, African Americans, and the 2012 Election: Will there be another ‘Black and Independent Alliance?'” Forum sponsored by the UNCG African American Studies Program, Department of Political Science, The Black Student Union, and North Carolina Independents, Greensboro, NC (January 26, 2012)

2011

“Slave Rebels in the African Diaspora of the Indian Ocean World,” Department of Political Science, North Carolina A &T, Greensboro, NC (November 21, 2011)

“North Carolina Independents: A History of the ‘Unaffiliated,'” Politics Club, High Point University (November 16, 2011)

“Black Populism in the New South,” The Black South: From the Reconstruction Period to the Early 20th Century Conference on African American Culture and Experience, University of North Carolina, Greensboro (November 11, 2011)

2010

“Bridging Red, Black, and White: The Making of the Chesapeake from the Colonial Period through the Early Republic,” Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, Maryland, public lecture sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council (December 5, 2010)

“Ibn Battuta on Piracy in the Indian Ocean,” Elliot Center Auditorium, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, public lecture sponsored by The History Club and Friends of the University Libraries (October 28, 2010)

The University of North Carolina, Greensboro — “Reconceptualizing the African Diaspora: From the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic World,” Conversations with the Community, Sponsored by the African American Studies Program (September 14, 2010)

Osher Lifelong Institute, Towson, MD — “Islam and the African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean World” Lectures in the Social Sciences (April 8, 2010)

College of Charleston, SC — “The Making of Black Populism in the New South,” Race, Labor, and Citizenship in the Post-Emancipation South Conference, panel on Southern Populism and the Color Line: New Research and Interpretations (March 12, 2010)

Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD – “The Emancipation Proclamation and the Tactics of Black Liberation in the Americas,” Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation, National Endowment for the Humanities and the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (February 20, 2010)

The University of North Carolina, Greensboro – “Black Populism in the New South: A Post-Emancipation Political Movement in the African Diaspora,”African American Studies Program research presentation (February 2, 2010)

“A Brief History of How Independents Have Expanded American History,” Cathy L. Stewart Politics for the People Series, Independence Party, New York County Lawyer’s Association, New York, NY (May 9, 2009)

“How did Barack Obama become the Nation’s first African American President?” President’s Day Master Class, All Stars Project/Development School for Youth, New York, NY (February 16, 2009)

“Islam and the Abolition of Slavery in the Indian Ocean,” Divinity School and Kelly Miller Institute on Black Church Studies, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (February 5, 2009)

“Islam and the Abolition of Slavery in the Indian Ocean,” Fulbright Alumni Lecture Series, Colombo, Sri Lanka (January 16, 2009)

2008

Osher Lifelong Institute, Towson, MD – “African Civilizations and the Making of the Diaspora” Lectures in the Social Sciences (April 17, 2008)

Teaching American History in Authentic Baltimore Program, Baltimore, MD – Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Towson University, Baltimore City Heritage Area, and The Baltimore City Public School System partnership (July 14-18, 2008)

2007

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN – Program in African American and Diaspora Studies, “Black Populism: An Independent Political Response to Agrarian Labor Subjugation in North America” (November 14, 2007)

Organization of American Historians, Washington, D.C. – “Black Populism in the New South,” panel presentation for “Race and American Citizenship: Civic Identity and Political Organizing After Reconstruction” (April 20, 2006)

2005

Southern Historical Association, Atlanta, GA – “Black Populism in the New South: The Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters of the Movement,” national conference panel “Black and White Populism in the New South” (November 5, 2005)

2004

Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Pittsburgh, PA – “Black Populism in the New South,” national convention (October 2, 2004)

Bronx Community College, Bronx, NY – “Two Decades of Independent Black Politics: A Contemporary Review,” Colston Hall, sponsored by the New York Independence Party Politics and the People Series (July 31, 2004)

The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill – “The Role of Independents in Public Policy-Making,” Lecture sponsored by the Minority Affairs Committee of the Executive Branch of Student Government (October 3, 2003)

Keene State College, Keene, NH – “What It Means to Be an Independent,” Political Science lecture (April 7, 2003)

2002

Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA – “Understanding the Past, Present, and Future of the Independent Political Movement in America,” Stanford in Government Public Policy Forum (November 20, 2002)
The Daily Stanford

University of California, Berkeley, CA – “For the American People, Independent of the Special Interests,” Harris Seminar Series, Institute of Government Studies (November 19, 2002)Public Affairs Report

University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire – “Where is the Independent Voice in U.S. Foreign Policy? For the American People, Independent of the Special Interests,” College Independents and Campus Greens (October 2, 2002)The Spectator and The Flipsidelink

Northeastern University, Boston, MA – “Independent Politics and Political Reform: How Young Voters are Transforming Political Culture in the U.S.” (February 28th, 2002)

2001

Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University – “Black Populists in the 1890s: The Lecturers and Organizers of the Colored Farmers’ Alliance and the People’s Party” Conference on Innovative Perspectives in History (March 17, 2001)

University of Maryland University College, African American Studies, Content Expert/Author, Adelphi, MD (2008-2009)

Teaching American History – U.S. Department of Education, Partnership between Baltimore City Public School System, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Baltimore City Heritage Area, and Towson University, MD (2008-2010)

Virginia Summey, Department of History, The College of Arts & Sciences

Margaret Williams, Department of History, The College of Arts & Sciences

Noura Abothneen, Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations, School of Education

Juldeh Tejan-Sie, Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations, School of Education

Esther Mulusa, Department of English, The College of Arts & Sciences

Master’s Thesis Committee:

Stacey Lawless, Department of History, The College of Arts & Sciences

Honors Thesis Committee:

Alexandra Romero, “The Legacy of French Colonialism in Morocco and Vietnam: A Comparative Study in Art History,” with Dr. Elizabeth Perrill, Department of Art, The College of Visual and Performing Arts

Spencer Stephenson, “How to be Human,” Department of Art, The College of Visual and Performing Arts